Construction of corner sections in luggage



Sept. 16, 1952 D, PLQTKlN 2,610,715

CONSTRUCTION OF' CORNER SECTIONS IN LUGGAGE l I Filed July 6, 1949 Zul/1,111

IN VEN TOR.'

Patented Sept. 16, n 1952 coNs'rnUcrfoN or o oRNEn sncrfons AIN GGAGE Samuel D. Plotkin, Evanston, Ill., assigner to Oshkosh Trunk and Luggage Co., Chicago, Ill., a. corporation of ,Wisconsiny q Appuatioamiy c, 1949, seriai No. 103,248 i' This invention relates to luggage and particularly to a construction for suitcases, satchels, traveling bags, sample'cases and the like. i

Pieces of this type` are usually constructed with walls that meet each other in angular relation to form sharply defined corners. In the ordinary handling of these pieces, it is these corner parts that are subjected to the greater amount of impact and abrasion and it is these corner parts, as a result, which first show wear or break down to the extent that the piece becomes unfit for further use.

It is an object of the invention to produce a container of the type described embodyinga new and improved corner construction to minimize the effect of'impact and abrasion to which the container is exposed as an incidence to normal handling.

A further object is to provide a new and improved corner construction in a luggage case to improve the strength and life of the case and it is a related object to improve the appearance, wear and durability of the case.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will hereinafter appear and for purposes of illustration but not of limitation, 4an embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which;

Figure 1 is a perspective View of an assembled luggage case embodying features of the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective fragmentary view of the case shown in Figure 1 with parts broken away to show the arrangement of parts in a corner assembly;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the cushioning strip unit used in the corner construction of the illustrated luggage case.

As shown in the drawing, my invention is embodied in the construction of a suit case formed of two similarly dimensioned rectangular sections A and B. Each section is defined by a sidewall IU, end walls Il and l2, top Wall I3 and bottom wall. Sections A and B are hingedly connected along their meeting edges of their respective bottom walls and locking means I5 are provided in their top walls to hold the parts together when in their closed relation.

The walls of a luggage case of this type are usually formed of relatively rigid material capable of resisting impact while retaining its desired shape, such as from Wood, metal, plastic laminates and the like. Their outer and inner 2 Claims. (Cl. Mill-37)` faces are covered with a facing material I5 and l1 respectively which maybe a textile fabric, leather, sheet metal, sheet plastic or the like with or without decorated design. The walls generally meet each other in angular relation and form sharply defined corners, such as the corners formedlby the'perp'endicularly arranged walls la and I I meeting along theedges cut at4=5 angles, as shown' in Figure 3. Y

To protect the corner Yportions from theeffects of wear, impact, and abrasion, there is providedv a cushioning strip VIl! having a longitudinal groove i9 therein corresponding to the contour of the Acorner such that the cushioning strip fits onto'the corner and embraces the edge portions adjacent lthereto when in the assembled relation. The cushioning strip I8 should be formed 'of material incapable of cold flow, such as metal, wood, plastics and the like, and best use is made of relatively tough, resilient plastic materials such as cellulose acetate, cellulose butyrate, plasticized or unplasticizedsynthetics including polyvinyl chloride, vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate copolymer, rubber hydrochloride, isoprene (neoprene). butadiene-styrene copolymer (Buna S) or butadiene-acrylonitrile copolymer (Buna N), may also be used. These and related materials are capable of substantially resisting permanent deformation. They are tough and sufficiently resilient to enable conformance to the crosswise and longitudinal contour of the corner sections.

To fix the cushioning strip I8 in the assembled relation, a securing flange 20 is formed to extend integrally from the strip with the inner face of the flange appearing as an extension from one of the faces defining the groove I9. The flange thus lies closely adjacent to the corresponding wall of the luggage case and may be fixed thereto.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the cushioning strip i8 is in the form of an elongated cylindrical member having a section or groove formed therein, defined by substantially perpendicularly arranged faces 2| and 22 dimensioned to be at least equal to the radius of the cylindrical section but less than its diameter. The flange 20 is in the form of an outward tapering wedge having its inner face 23 in parallel relation and flush with face 22 of the groove.

The flanged cushioning strip is covered with a facing strip 25 dimensionedto have free edge portions extending beyond the flanged cushioning strip. These edge portions and the flanged accepts the forces and impacts to which the luggage case is normally subjected in advance.

of the less resisting intermediate. wall portions.

The bead on the underside of the case functions to space the adjacent wall from the surface on which the luggage case is rested to minimizek By this new' contact thereof with such surfaces. and improved construction the appearance of the luggage case.- is improvedwhile at the same time the life and thestrengthof theA corner construction is enhanced.A The effect-of. wear` abra.- sion and impact to whichthe case is normally subjected is greatly minimized It will be understood that. numerous changes may' be made in the details, constructiom. arrangement and materials without.. departing from the spirit of the inventionrespecially as dened in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a. luggage case donned by walls.: meeting eachother substantially. inA perpendicular relation to provide sharplyv dened corners,l a. cushioning stripof tough resilientmaterialzincapable of. cold flow in the form of a curvilinear. rod-having a longitudinal groove thereindened by substantial perpendicularly arranged' walls Vhaving a depth greater thanV one-halt the. corresponding thickness of the. rodwhereby the cushioning strip embraces the. corner portion. when inthe; assembled relation, a securing iiangef integral with, the strip and extending therefrom aa. ai continuation 4 with a face defining the groove and fixed to the adjacent wall of the luggage for securing the cushioning strip in the assembled relation, and a. facing strip covering the cushioning strip and flange and fixed along its edges to the adjacent walls of the luggage.

2. In.a luggage casev dened by Walls. meeting each other in substantially perpendicularvrelation to provide sharply deilned corners, a cushioning strip of tough resilient material incapable of cold flow and in the form of a cylindrical rod having a`r longitudinal groove therein dened by substantially perpendicularly arranged walls dimensioned to be` greater than the radius, whereby the cushf ioning strip embraces the corner portions when in the assembledrelation, a securing flange integral with the strip and extending therefrom as a continuation of oneface of the groove, a facing strip dimensioned to cover the ilanged cushioning strip and have free edge portions extending beyond the flanged cushioning strip, andmeans securing the free edge portions, of the facing strip and thesecuring flange to the adjacent. walls. of. the. luggage. in the assembled relation.

SAMUELD.

REFERENCES: CITEDV Thev following references are of recordin the le, ofthis. patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date.

146,955. Soel'd. Jan. 27, 1874 '174.575 Fowler Nov. 8. 1904 2,232,853 BalinV Feb. 25, 1941 2,471,612 Freeman. May 31,1949

2,516,551 Chenoweth July 25,1950

FOREIGN PATENTS- Number Countryl Date 450,806v France Jan. 28, 1913 465,685 Great Britain Dec. 18, 1936 

